champions of the beach
Stumbling out of various coaches, legs stiff from a night spent hurtling south along Kenya’s highways, Blackfish assembled in the streets of Mombasa. Spirits were high despite the long, tiring journey, and after catching up over a hearty breakfast, the fish made their way onto the ferry to Kwale, and all bundled into a matatu bound for Twiga Lodge.
Eager to get on the beach, we wasted little time checking in and spent the best part of the afternoon throwing and running some last-minute drills, before plunging into the rising tide to cool off. Now the speaker which Captain Diagracious had lugged across half the city of Mombasa began to earn its keep, and we enjoyed music into the evening when Zena arrived with a much-appreciated dinner of chicken Pilau. After the captains had met to discuss tactics (and the rest had discussed the varying merits of our fishtank playlist), we congregated for a meeting and set our mind on the task ahead: victory at FEAST.
Bounty Hunters set off to a shaky start in the first Saturday game against Kemri ultimate, but quickly switched on when Captain Erique arrived to steady the ship from the rear. At the start of their match against NDOVU, Bounty were merely hunting for some connection, but after springing a huge comeback from five points down, they began hunting for victory in the second half. Assisted by the stalwart Doc and some nifty movement from Richie and Fin, Bounty’s handlers began to find their rhythm. Downfield, cutters were finding chemistry also when Marwa and Charles began clearing the deep space, allowing the ladies to take advantage. The game ended in a narrow 11-13 loss, but spirits were high after a strongly competitive game which had seen every Bounty Hunter giving their all.
The next two games set Bounty against two of the strongest teams at FEAST: Tropical Rangers and Kakamega Wolves. The Bounty defence was stretched by the athleticism of their opponents, and to make matters worse, both teams pulled out highly effective zones which frustrated the handlers and led to risky throws in windy conditions. The penultimate game of the day was a testament to how much Bounty Hunters had gelled together as a team.
Young and inexperienced players such as Iman, Collete and Maureen provided consistent downfield options, and along with some highlight-reel moments from Marwa and Chalo, the ladies led the offense to Bounty’s highest score of the day, winning the game 13- 6. Dynamic handler duo Richie and Erique led the Bounty offense into their final game against Cool Waters FC with a maturity BFU would have been proud of. With both teams running low on energy, the game became a low-scoring defensive struggle with plenty of contact. Spirit remained high across both teams however, and all calls were resolved amicably. Despite heroic cutting efforts from Monrea, Bounty struggled to match up with the Cool Waters men on defence and suffered a narrow two-point loss to end the day.
Blackfish Ultimate were thrown right into the deep end with two tough games to start the morning. In their first fixture against Rangers, the athleticism in their lineup helped pull them ahead to a marginal 9-8 victory. By the late morning, every team had begun to suffer from the effects of the burning hot sand underfoot.Those without socks were rendered helpless against the scorch, and this added an extra element of unpredictability into an already challenging game against Wolves. The Kakamega ladies led the way in securing a universe point victory, in an early upset that hadn’t quite been in the BFU gameplan.
Spirits among the fishtank remained high despite the upset, and the team felt confident that all victory would require was a few good pairs of thick socks. Rolling through East Africa effortlessly, BFU headed into the afternoon refuelled and with renewed confidence not only in their suffocating defence but also their chemistry which left handlers spoilt for options. NDOVU put up a remarkably strong fight in the afternoon, and it was down to excellent displays from Ivy and Diagracious that BFU were able to pull ahead at the last minute. Controversy struck in the game against Cool Waters FC, when it became clear that they had not brought enough female-matching players, and due to injuries, were left without any subs. After a challenging morning, BFU put their faith in their female handlers to carry them towards an easy victory. The final game against Kemri ultimate proved a fitting end to a challenging day, and saw essential contributions from each player to bring victory to BFU victory.
Fish from both BFU and Bounty reunited amongst the waves to reflect on a tough day, and both teams could be proud of how their chemistry had developed and that spirit had remained high despite long hours of gameplay and searing heat from underfoot and overhead.
The following morning, after evening festivities provided by the wonderful Cool Waters hosts, both teams slowly trickled down onto the beach in varying states of decay. The gods of tournament scheduling had taken a shining to the players from Kisumu, leaving them with two friendly intra-club fixtures to get BFU warmed up for the tough finals ahead. The final round robin game of BFU vs Bounty saw the Hunters giving their all, at times surprising the more experienced team, but ended in a solid victory which placed BFU in 2 nd place and Bounty Hunters in 7 th . The quarter final rematch revealed which team had really had fun the night before, and BFU calmly washed all the mistakes out of their system in a comprehensive victory which left them warmed up and ready for the finals.
A rematch of last year’s final, Kemri Ultimate proved a formidable opponent and BFU’s effortless offence was haltered by tight defence and athleticism. Points dragged on longer, as both teams struggled to prove their defensive supremacy, and by halftime the score was a mere 4-3 to BFU. In the second half, a blistering attack led by handlers Tonkei Kamolo and Tevine saw the middle of the pitch become a tumultuous flow of quick passes in BFU’s favour. Time and time again, BFU cutters such as Mijere and Phylis became free downfield, but too many turns in the first half had cautioned the BFU players, and with the experience of Mbago and Lemtudo, the team took a patient approach to their attack. Slowly working the disk up the field, they took the painstaking effort necessary to convert during increasingly windy conditions. On long defensive points, a vocal sideline kept spirits high and pulled BFU through to a 10-7 victory. Tonkei and Mijere claimed MVP, and the captain set a firm example, winning MSP alongside Esther.
The final against Kakamega Wolves was the much-anticipated rematch of Saturday morning’s loss. Could BFU redeem themselves and claim the title? Was it merely hot sand and burning toes that had cost them their unbeaten record? Or would the highly drilled Wolves with their devastating women’s lineup prevail once again? The game began once again with a cagey, back and forth which saw many turns. As the scoreline inched along, and BFU’s men and women alike began racking up defensive blocks, sometimes forcing offensive errors, sometimes committing massive layout plays to prevent the score. Each turnover tugged at the heartstrings of the Blackfish sideline, and the atmosphere steadily grew louder and louder.
With just a point lead at halftime, BFU were desperately searching for a break, and both teams realised the importance of selecting the perfect line. Diagracious and Allan handled with unwavering patience, and when Wolves tried to exercise their women’s advantage, Mbago, Mijere, Esther and Phyllis showed their strength and endurance by battling out long defensive points. Again and again Wolves would be forced to turn the disk, and BFU would begin the arduous work of slowly making their way back up the pitch, but the Kakamega defence was equally unwavering.
Contact increased and bodies were hitting the ground in every direction as it became clear how much this match meant to the players. Tonkei’s heroic layouts left him injured, but he returned defiantly to continue making life hell for the Wolves handlers. Nerves on the sideline were high, but voices were higher and the Bounty Hunters led the cheering, giving essential energy to defenders.
In the end it was the depth and diversity of the BFU squad which gave them the edge. At each new point, they had a wealth of options to choose from, and it was down to excellent leadership from Captain Diagracious and President Allan Lemtudo that they were able to always ensure a balance of fresh legs and experience on the line. It was fitting then, that after the last nail-biting minutes had trickled away, Lemtudo found himself with the disk in hand, watching his captain sprinting deep with metres of space. Once more breaking his mark, up went the disc. Hearts fluttered. Jaws dropped. Every spectator stood motionless for a moment as victory floated uncontested into the hands of Diagracious.
The sideline erupted as the fishtank poured onto the pitch and chased the captain down the beach. It was over. Players leapt into the sea, all celebrating in their natural habitat – all except those who feared the waves (Phyllis).
Blackfish Ultimate won with a final score of 9-6 and became the Champions of FEAST XIV. Mijere and Diagracious were named MVPs of the final, and Esther and Lemtudo claimed the MSP title.
Amidst the gathering dark, players and teams were awarded, recognised and thanked for their efforts in what had been a remarkable tournament. In one final victory, President Lemtudo claimed overall MSP, setting the standard for Blackfish, and the Kenyan ultimate community as a whole. The team celebrated with Mbuzi and beer and danced into the night rejoicing in the successes of the past two days.